AFTER THE STORM: KEY LEARNINGS FROM DISASTER RESPONSE FOLLOWING CYCLONE IDAI IN MOZAMBIQUE

Cyclone Impact On March 14-15, 2019, a category 4 cyclone made landfall in central Mozambique, directly hitting the coastal city of Beira, the country’ 3rd largest city and a major seaport. 603 people were reported killed, and 400,000 were displaced. Public health supply chains were threatened: • 29 percent of the national road network impacted • Warehouses that receive health commodities arriving in the port city were heavily damaged

GHSC-PSM Logistics and Emergency ResponseLed by Mozambique’s Central Medical Store (CMAM), partners mobilized immediately to coordinate emergency response. The World Food Program provided two tents to establish an Armazém de Emergência (AEM) on the site of the CMAM Pioneiros Warehouse while it was being repaired. GHSC-PSM supported the disaster response:• Using camera’s mounted on drones, assessed damage to warehouse roofs to

provide landlords information needed to mobilize repairs• Mobilized additional staff, equipment, commodities,

security services, and funding for surge support• Coordinated and began infrastructure rehabilitation• Re-established IT systems and warehouse management software• Re-established supply chain standard operation procedures and created

emergency-specific procedures• Performed an inventory of existing stock and managed donated products• Restored normal supply chain operations

Lessons learnedEmergency preparedness plans are the primary tools used to mitigate the destruction caused by natural disasters around the world, yet many countries are ill-prepared to meet the challenges that lie ahead. As part of the analysis of the emergency response, partners developed the components of an emergency preparedness plan, including:

Commodities• Prepare instructions/guidelines for donors• Divide products into categories of usefulness upon arrival• Have packaging materials available for repacking products• Create a recording system for the total stream of donated supplies

Management• Standardize processes and documentation• Create coordination and data sharing procedures• Create a WhatsApp group(s) to facilitate coordination

Infrastructure• Utilize drones/UAVs to asses infrastructure

damage• Establish a separate emergency

warehouse/storage system• Have tents/rub halls available at warehouses• Create a warehouse management system with a

complete list of products and emergency kits that can be expected as donations• Avail satellite phones for communications

in early days

Human resources:• Ensure qualified surge staff are available to deploy• Ensure the continuous presence of warehouse and IT specialists on-site to support Ministry staff• Plan for rest and recuperation• Provide identification and safety jackets/shoes • Provide emergency food packages for staff

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Natural disasters require an effective, coordinated response to provide commodities needed for emergency response and to ensure continuous supply of regular public health commodities. One risk after a natural disaster is that the local government becomes overwhelmed by the influx of donations.

Establishing IT systems and temporary storage are key to emergency response.

Create standard operating procedures like this one to manage the flow of donated commodities.

Steps in re-establishing the public health supply chain.

Watch for our “Technical Report on “Natural Disaster Preparedness & Lesson learned with Cyclone Idai” to be published soon at www.GHSupplyChain.org

AUTHORS DR. ANTONIO ASSANE, MOZAMBIQUE MINISTRY OF HEALTH, CENTRAL MEDICAL STORE (CMAM) LEAH HASSELBACK, USAID | DIMITRI PEFFER, GHSC-PSM

REPÚBLICA DE MOÇAMBIQUEMINISTÉRIO DA SAÚDE

Central de Medicamentos e Artigos Médicos

The USAID Global Health Supply Chain Program-Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM) project is funded under USAID Contract No. AID-OAA-I-15-0004. GHSC-PSM connects technical solutions and proven commercial processes to promote efficient and cost-effective health supply chains worldwide. Our goal is to ensure uninterrupted supplies of health commodities to save lives and create a healthier future for all. The project purchases and delivers health commodities, offers comprehensive technical assistance to strengthen national supply chain systems, and provides global supply chain leadership. For more information, visit ghsupplychain.org. The views expressed in this poster do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the U.S. government.

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